The present invention generally relates to continuous motion apparatus and methods for handling products, particularly to continuous motion apparatus and methods for moving products, and specifically to continuous motion apparatus and methods for stacking products.
Products are often packaged in cartons in a stacked condition. Typically, products exit the fabrication process in a single lane. To stack the products, one or more products are separated from that single lane and the separated products are moved relative to the single lane to be above (or below) the products in the single lane. The typical manner that such movement is accomplished is that movement of the products is somehow restricted such as by having the products hit a stationary stop, by stopping the conveyor or similar device moving the products, or by both. This is disadvantageous for several reasons. First, stopping or restricting movement of the products reduces the potential throughput of the stacking apparatus. Additionally, extra energy and time are required to accelerate the products to the conveying speed. Further, especially where products are conveyed to engage a mechanical stop, the products are placed under considerable compression which depending upon the product characteristics can cause potential damage thereto, with the lead product(s) which physically abuts the mechanical stop being especially prone to damage as bearing the brunt of absorbing the shock forces.
Thus, a need exists in the field of product handling for providing apparatus and methods with a relatively high throughput. It is then an aim of the present invention to provide a continuous motion apparatus and methods for handling products and especially for stacking products. It is further an aim of the present invention to provide apparatus and methods for handling products where movement of the products is not restricted such as by mechanical stops or even by pressure switches and the like.